Second Presbyterian Church

"Living Eternal Life -- Now!"
June 1, 2003

Upcoming Events

Worship Schedule

Sermons

About the Church

• Accessibility to the Church

• Directions to the Church

• History of the Church

Church Staff

Groups & Organizations

• Boy Scouts of America - Troop 175

• Choirs

• Presbyterian Women

• SPY (Second Presbyterian Youth)

Committees

• Building & Grounds

• Church Growth

• Congregational Care & Fellowship

• Education & Nurture

• Finance

• Office & Personnel

• Stewardship

• Witness & Service

• Worship & Celebration

Ad Hoc Committees

• Architectural - Engineering

• Building Fund

Presbyterian Internet Sites of Interest

Virginia Links

• Virginia Cities

Web Site Statistics

Site Map

Second Presbyterian Church Homepage

Sermons Homepage » Sermons for 2003 » Sermons for June 2003

7^th Sunday of Easter, Year B
by The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.

• 1 John 5: 6-13
• John 17: 6-19

You know, as Christians we have a wonderful gift: Jesus Christ who gives us eternal life because of his death and resurrection. In addition, God Himself testifies to us about his Son through the Holy Spirit. We might first hear of it from someone else, from some human source. You might hear of it from a preacher. Perhaps you heard it from reading the First Letter of John for yourself. These are all human testimonies, human descriptions of God's amazing love for us. And the testimony given by John or some Christian you met might be the way that God first opened your ears and minds to His great love and salvation. But wait a minute! By the time we get to the point of accepting the testimony, it is rapidly becoming the testimony from God and not just what other human beings have said, regardless of how holy they might be!

John has two concerns: One, John in his desire that we know and live in Christ, warns us about the witness of the Spirit. Two, John desires that all know and live in Christ Jesus. And in that relationship with Jesus Christ the believer has eternal life.

First, John, in his desire that we know and live in Christ, warns us about the witness of the Spirit. As John notes earlier in his letter, (1 John 4: 1-2) there are all kinds of spirits out there and many of them are claiming to be the Holy Spirit of God. Note verse 2 "By this you know the Spirit is of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God." (ESV) There are false witnesses out there. There are spirits who claim to be the Spirit of God, but do NOT proclaim Jesus Christ who came in the flesh. These spirits are false spirits who are proclaiming to be someone whom they are not! They lead astray and confuse. They breed division and strife. Their testimonies are lies and not the truth!

In today's lesson John is saying the same thing. He first notes that the Spirit of God is the truth. It always bears witness to the truth. Listen again to these words:

"This is he who came by water and blood - Jesus Christ; not by the water only (e.g. note by Jesus' ministry and life), but by the water AND the blood."

This simply means that the true Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit is the one whose testimony to our minds testifies to Jesus who came in the flesh and actually DIED a human death. Any testimony that leaves out the baptism and death of Jesus Christ comes from a false spirit, not the Holy Spirit.

In summary, John is stating that the real testimony to the truth is the testimony that Jesus lived and died (e. g. he was truly lived, then died) and that Eternal life is life in Jesus Christ.

So the second point is about what John means when he uses the term, Eternal life. John uses the term, Eternal Life, in ways that we might not comprehend by just a cursory reading of his works. For John is talking about quality of life, and not so much about length of time. Let me explain. If eternal life just meant living forever it actually might become quite burdensome. Sort of like the movie, Tuck Forever. Life could drone on forever. It could be similar to Midas who wished for more gold. He got his wish and soon found out that it was not quite so wonderful having so much gold when he couldn't eat and you lost he lost his daughter, when touched, turned to gold. Life as we know it now being lived forever would not be a blessing at all!

John was talking about something much more profound. He was referring to our life in Jesus Christ, who died and now lives forever. He was referring to how our living in Christ Jesus means that our meaning and purpose in life becomes transformed to living in and for Jesus Christ! In other words our purpose and direction in life is living in Jesus Christ and living for him.

The book of Ecclesiastes is correct. Vanity, vanity, all is vanity. We are born (either rich or poor); we live (either well or not so well & and we are either good or bad); and we die (regardless of our situation in life). He refers to life as "chasing the wind." In other words, the purpose in life is not understandable. It doesn't make sense to mortal humans. We are born, grow up, get old, die. The only exception is when we die BEFORE we get old.

Jesus Christ changed all that. He was born (indeed he existed before creation), he lived, he died, AND HE ROSE AGAIN! So Jesus lives life forever. In Jesus our lives become purposeful, because we can now live for Christ and not for ourselves! History will make sense. Life now has a Divine purposed goal or end. And when we believe in Jesus Christ and we know that the testimony of the Holy Spirit is true (about Jesus coming in the flesh), then our lives have meaning and purpose. Then our lives have Divine, Eternal meaning and purpose. John called this Eternal life. And this Eternal Life is life that we can participate in right now in this life of our flesh and bones. It means that we are free to love and free to cast away fear, because what this world can do to us is minor in comparison to wonderful life in Jesus Christ.

So, listen to your hearts. Do you hear the witness of the Holy Spirit? Do you hear the voice of God testifying to the truth that Jesus Christ lived and died to save us from our sins? If so you are already participating in eternal life with Christ. You are living in Christ. If you don't hear that Spirit, but you hear some other spirit, then know that that spirit is a lie and is hell bent to destroy you! Pray that he is removed and the Spirit of Truth abides in your heart.